Psalm 150 – Sanctuary

 October 27, 2026

The book of Psalms comes to an end with a symphony of praise in Psalm 150 – sanctuary. What is this sanctuary, this holy place?

Psalm 150

The Psalms begin with blessed (Psalm 1:1 – “Blessed is the one”) and end with “hallelujah.” We begin our lives with blessings and end our life in praise. We are called to praise God in his sanctuary, or in this translation, International Standard, God’s holy place.

This short psalm answers the basic questions of every news story: who, what, where, why, how. Who do we praise, where do we praise, what praise do we offer, why offer praise, and how do we praise. The only one missing is when, but this is implied – always and at all times!

Who do we praise? God. Where do we praise God? In his holy place.

“Hallelujah! Praise God in his Holy Place. Praise him in his great expanse.” (1)

Why praise God?

“Praise him for his mighty works. Praise him according to his excellent greatness.” (2)

How to praise God – with every instrument!

“Praise him with trumpet sounding. Praise him with stringed instrument and harp.

Praise him with tambourine and dancing. Praise him with stringed and wind instruments.

Praise him with loud cymbals. Praise him with reverberating cymbals.” (3-5)

What praise and by whom? Everyone praises with every breath.

“Let everyone who breathes praise the LORD. Hallelujah!” (6)

“This is a remarkably fitting conclusion to this psalm and to the entire Book of Psalms. Everything that breathes should give its praise to the One who gave it breath. Every breath is the gift of God and praise is the worthy response we should make for that gift.” Psalm 150 Commentary: Let All Things Praise the LORD

Sanctuary

Sanctuary, according to Webster, is a consecrated place, such as a temple or church, or a place of refuge and protection. In Scripture, sanctuary reflects God’s desire to be with God’s people.

“The sanctuary, throughout the biblical narrative, symbolizes God’s desire to dwell with His people and to be accessible to them. It represents a place of holiness, set apart for divine purposes, where humanity can encounter the divine.” Topical Bible: Sanctuary

There is no longer a physical Temple in New Jerusalem: “because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Revelation 21:22). This signifies the perfect and eternal communion between God and His people, where the need for a physical sanctuary is transcended by the immediate presence of God Himself.” Topical Bible: Sanctuary

In Psalm 150 – sanctuary, sanctuary is not limited to a building. It is the great expanse, God’s mighty dome of the heavens, God’s strong vault.

“The wide expanse of sky, with all its might in storms and weather, is also a fitting place to praise God. Since the firmament stretches from horizon to horizon, it tells us that God should be praised in every place under the sky.” Commentary on Psalm 150 – Working Preacher from Luther Seminary

The Grand Finale

Depending on your perspective, Psalm 150 ends with a cacophony of instruments, or a symphony. “Spend a little time imagining the cacophony (!) created when the following instruments are mixed: trumpets, lute, harp, tambourine, strings, pipe, clanging cymbals, loud clashing cymbals. This is no ordinary composition of sounds.” Commentary on Psalm 150 – Working Preacher from Luther Seminary

Another commentator compares this psalm with Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture.”

“Picture the conductor tapping the baton. The orchestra comes to attention, and the audience waits in hushed expectation.  Then the conductor cues each section to come in—first the brass, then the violins and woodwinds. Gradually, the piece gathers strength until, finally, it flings itself against the sky with the sounds of crashing cymbals and firing cannons.” Commentary on Psalm 150 – Working Preacher from Luther Seminary

The Hebrew words build to a crescendo. “Although it’s not obvious when we read this psalm in translation, the Hebrew poem amplifies this crescendo visually. Each verse is slightly longer than the previous one. As the words build verse by verse, one can see the crescendo as well as hearing it.” Commentary on Psalm 150 – Working Preacher from Luther Seminary

And so, we end our journey through the Psalms with an explosion of praise.

“Psalm 150 contains no argument, no real teaching, no real explanation. It is an eloquent, passionate cry to all creation to give Yahweh the praise due to Him.” Psalm 150 Commentary: Let All Things Praise the LORD

Psalm 150 – Sanctuary

As I end my fourth journey through the Psalms, focusing on one psalm each week. I am reminded of the beauty and wisdom found in them. “The Trappists hold these psalms so precious because they believe so fully in the capacity of the psalms to contain the whole of human suffering, hope and joy; past, present and future.” The timeless wisdom of the psalms – America Magazine

With every breath we are to praise our God. With our whole life we praise God. We are to walk with God in God’s presence, God’s sanctuary, which extends throughout the world. And thus, our lives end as the book of Psalms ends, in God’s presence, praising our God with hallelujah.

Where do you find sanctuary? Where is your holy place?

(For another take on this psalm, see Psalm 150: The After Glow – Patricia M Robertson)

This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series.      click here to sign up

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